Miss the Old Port’s laid-back glory days? Two local business owners are hoping to recreate the friendly vibe with Ringo’s, a new restaurant and live music venue. Located on Forest Avenue near Woodford’s Corner, the barbecue-and-Greek restaurant and bar will open within the next three months, says co-owner Pete Kostopoulos.A former owner of the Free Street Taverna, Kostopoulos is no stranger to Portland’s bar and music scenes. During Free Street’s formative days in the early ’90s, Kostopoulos discovered hidden gems among Portland’s jazz, surf rock, and jam bands, but sold the place in 2002 to Steve Kessler, whose stewardship was replaced last year by Ted Arcand.
“I wanted to get back involved into music,” says Kostopoulos, who is now working with good friend and business partner Steve “Ringo” Dodd. “I know we started off a lot of bands [at the Free Street Taverna] that did pretty well afterwards. I’m proud of that stuff.”
Ringo’s will have local live music on weekend nights, and will feature food centered around Kostopoulos’s “Hick Lickin’ Good” line of all-natural barbecue sauces, whose labels feature ex-King Memphis frontman Kris Eckhardt.
“The sauce has gone national and it’s done really, really well,” said Kostopoulos. “And it’s just one of those things I started when I sold my bar, I thought it would be fun to do. Well the fun turned into a little more work than fun, but that’s a good thing.”
